Effect of CCTV cameras is limited

LONDON, May 6 (UPI) -- Blanketing Britain with security cameras has done little to prevent or solve crimes, the Metropolitan Police officer in charge of surveillance said Tuesday.

Speaking at a security conference in London, Detective Chief Inspector Mick Neville said that the cameras appear to have little deterrent effect because criminals believe they are not working, The Daily Mail reported. He said that officials gave little thought to how the cameras could be used when cases come to court.

Britain has spent billions of pounds installing CCTV cameras and has about 20 percent of the security cameras in the world, while it holds only 1 percent of the population.

"It's been an utter fiasco: Only 3 percent of crimes were solved by CCTV," Neville said. "Why don't people fear it? They think the cameras are not working."

A study released last year showed that crimes were no more likely to be solved in London neighborhoods with large numbers of cameras than in those with very few.